• Doresi said statistics have shown most of the teen pregnancies were a result of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
• Chisaka said cases of sodomy are on the rise in the county, even as teen pregnancies decline.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Teenage pregnancies in Kakamega county have dropped by 38.7 per cent in the last four years, statistics by health department show.
The statistics were shared during a school re-entry guidelines sensitisation forum on Imarisha Msichana programme, which is spearheaded by the Forum for African Women Educationists (Fawe-K).
The data showed the number of teen pregnancies dropped from 14,768 in 2020 to 9,048 in 2023.
In Malava constituency, the number of teenage pregnancies dropped to 1,257 last year from 1,518 cases in 2020.
Lurambi recorded 1,104 cases in 2020 but dropped to 873 in 2023.
Mumias West had the largest deviation from 1,590 in 2020 to 596, while Khwisero recorded the least drop from 638 to 529.
Stakeholders attributed the drop in adolescent pregnancies to a rise in interventions by the county and national governments targeting schools and sensitisation of communities.
Fawe-K Kakamega county project coordinator Laura Doresi said, “Even though these numbers are going down, we should not have them in the first place.”
Doresi said statistics have shown most of the teen pregnancies were a result of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
She said the Imarisha Msichana programme aims to promote the government’s re-entry policy by sensitising the community about it to increase teen mothers return to schools after giving birth.
The programme seeks to empower girls by promoting access, retention and completion of education for teen mothers in school. It is funded by Fawe-K and Mastercard Foundation.
It is being implemented in 20 counties.
Doresi said the general public is not aware of the re-entry policy, despite the fact it has existed for more than 10 years now.
The policy requires teen mothers to be readmitted back to schools unconditionally after weaning their newborns.
Stakeholders attributed teen pregnancies to delay of survivors to go to hospital after defilement or rape, kangaroo courts at the community level and poverty.
They also said inadequate youth empowerment programmes, beliefs and gender norms that hinders service access contribute to increase in teenage pregnancies.
Robert Chisaka from the county heath department said the county has developed the Kakamega County Sexual and Gender Bases Violence Bill, which is undergoing public participation as part of the strategy to respond to SGBV adolescent pregnancies.
He said the county is also strengthening men engagement forums and community watch groups, and sensitising the community on positive parenting.
“The department is also strengthening capacities of communities to provide quality response and prevention of gender-based violence and adolescent pregnancies and monitoring the trends of GBV in the county and share with opinion leaders for action,” he said.
Chisaka said cases of sodomy are on the rise in the county, even as teen pregnancies decline.
He said data is scanty as only those in schools are captured, unlike adolescent pregnancies that are captured at health facilities.
Western regional TSC director quality assurance officer Tirzah Songwa said the policy is in line with the Constitution, which provides for free and compulsory basic education.